An additive foray for stories, pictures and information about the ancestry and descendants of the James Family. Remember to wear your helmet, drink plenty of fluids, and enjoy yourself. The research on this blog and on Ancestry.com is for me, my children, my grandchildren, future generations and anyone else who is interested.
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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Dragging Canoe 1738 - 1792

As a 12-14 year old boy he was told he couldn't go with the war party unless he could drag the fully loaded war log canoe on land into the water. His enthusiasm and endeavors earned him the name Tsi'ui-Gunsin'ni "Dragging Canoe". This was circa 1750 when his father Atakullakulla led war parties against the French & their Native allies, including Shawnee, in the Ohio Valley.

From Wikipedia

Tsiyugunsini, "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, (c. 1738 – March 1, 1792) was an American Indian war leader who led a dissident band of Cherokee (joined by Upper Muskogee, Chickasaw, Shawnee, and Indians from other tribes/nations, along with British Loyalists, French and Spanish agents, renegade whites from the colonies, and runaway slaves), against the United States in the American Revolutionary War and a decade afterwards, a series of conflicts known as the Chickamauga wars, becoming the pre-eminent war leader among the Indian of the Southeast of his time. He served as principal chief of the Chickamauga, or Lower, Cherokee from 1777 until his death in 1792, upon which he was succeeded by John Watts.

Son of Attakullakulla ("Little Carpenter" in English), who was part Shawnee and part Nipissing, and a mother who was a Natchez living in a town of refugees from that tribes who had settled among the Overhill Towns on the Little Tennessee River, he contracted smallpox at a young age, which left his face pock-marked. According to Cherokee legend, his name is derived from an incident in his early childhood in which he attempted to prove his readiness to go on the warpath by hauling a canoe, the attempt resulting in him only being able to drag it.

Dragging Canoe did later get his chance to take part in war, initially against the Shawnee and Muskogee (later his two closest allies), but he gained his first real taste in the Anglo-Cherokee War (1759-1761), along with prior forays into the Ohio country as well. In the aftermath of this war, he became one of the most vocal opponents of encroachment by settlers from the British colonies onto Indian, especially Cherokee, land. Eventually he became chief of Great Island Town (Amoyeli Egwa in Cherokee, written Mialaquo by the British) on the Little Tennessee River.

When the Cherokee opted to join in the fighting of the American Revolution on the side of the British, Dragging Canoe was at the head of one of the major attacks. After his father and Oconostota refused to continue further after the wholesale destruction of the Cherokee Middle (Hill), Valley, and Lower Towns, Dragging Canoe led a band of the Overhill Cherokee out of the towns to the area surrounding Chickamauga River (South Chickamauga Creek) in the Chattanooga area, where they established eleven towns in 1777, including the one later referred to as "Old Chickamauga Town" across river from place where the British commissary John McDonald had set up shop, doing so on the advice of Alexander Cameron, the British agent to the Cherokee. From this location, frontiersmen gave his group the name the Chickamauga Cherokee, and later called them the Lower Cherokee.

After the Chickamauga towns were destroyed a second time in 1782, Dragging Canoe's band moved down the Tennessee River to the "Five Lower Towns" area below the obstructions of the Tennessee River Gorge: Running Water (now Whiteside), Nickajack (near the cave of the same name), Long Island (on the Tennessee River), Crow Town (at the mouth of Crow Creek), and Lookout Mountain Town (at the site of the current Trenton, Georgia). From Running Water, Dragging Canoe led attacks on white settlements all over the American Southeast, especially against the colonial settlements on the Holston, Watauga, and Nolichucky Rivers in East Tennessee, and the Cumberland River settlements in Middle Tennessee (after 1780), sometimes raiding into Kentucky and Virginia as well. His brothers Little Owl, The Badger, and Turtle-at-Home are known to have taken part in his wars as well.

Dragging Canoe died March 1, 1792, from exhaustion or an apparent heart attack after dancing all night celebrating the recent conclusion of alliance with the Muskogee and the Choctaw, despite a failed similar mission to the Chickasaw, from whence he had just returned, plus a recent victory by a Chickamauga war band on the Cumberland River settlements. He is considered by many to be the most significant Native Americans leader of the Southeast, and provided a significant role model for the younger Tecumseh, who was a member of a band of Shawnee living with the Chickamauga/Lower Cherokee and taking part in their wars.

Chief Dragging Canoe - Another Article

For seventeen years, Dragging Canoe led a war trail against settlements in Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The militia of these states retaliated by destroying Indian crops and more than 50 Cherokee towns. The old chiefs wanted peace, but Dragging Canoe wanted to continue the fight. He and his followers built new settlements in Georgia and became known as the Chicamaugans. This die-hard band of Chicamaugans conducted guerrilla raids, leaving a trail of scalps, murdered victims, and ruined crops. In 1777 Dragging Canoe killed a man named David Crockett, his wife and several of his children. Two of David's sons, Joseph and James, were taken prisoner and kept for 17 years. Another son, John, married and had nine children. The fifth of these was named Davey Crockett, after his murdered grandfather. This is the Davey Crockett who fought alongside Andrew Jackson in the Creek War of 1813, became a U.S. Senator, and later died a hero at the Alamo.

86 comments:

He was a murdering savage for sure. Thankfully, many of the colonists from the low-country of SC, along with Francis Marion, killed many of these pagans and drove them out of the country. This was part of the story line from the movie The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson.

Oh yeah! That's so brilliant. I take ALL of my advice from that nutjob....you're the type that believes there was no holocaust... I am this murdering, Paegan, TRUE man's granddaughter. I feel that white people think they have so much more. Yet they actually have not even the intelligence to open their goddamned minds.

He was my great [a few times back] grand father. I am proud of my Cherokee heritage and its not the Indians who took the white mans land and stole it from them and killed the mercilessly. they were defending what was rightfully theirs. they did not invite any immigrant to this nation and if they don't like it then they can take their butts back from where their ancestors came from.

To Anonymous Jan 17, 2010 3:40pm. You've put your faith in what Hollywood has produced. Chief Dragging Canoe was a great hero father and friend to many (also a distant cousin-7th).You also do not understand pagan's for I have met a few, they seem nice enough but have nothing to do with the Ani-Yun-Wiya/Cherokee and originated in 4th century Rome but while we're on ancient history tell me why it always took so many eurotrash (as I have many all white friends) to win victory over so few or even just one Cherokee? Also, you do know that the European settlers were mostly made up of the unwanted and criminal thus "eurotrash" don't you? Sounds like someone who would get their info from hearsay repeat it and then leave their name as "Anonymous" Think on it.Ta Yvwiya (2persons of the Cherokee)

dragging canoe was a mighty warrior and a inspirational leader to his people.I am not a native american,but I was raised in Running water town, now Whiteside TN, [Question] There is a grave in the hollow beside the creek in whiteside on Gouger Lane,the grave says, [LET OUR BROTHER REST IN PIECE].A Native American couple visit the grave every year.If any one knows who's grave this is,or can tell me anything about it please let me know.Thank you.Anonymous/Curious writer.

I descend from both the Croquetaigne who came from Ireland via France AND Nancy Ward, who was either a cousin or brother of Dragging Canoe. The whites were, at best, illegal immigrants--at worst, terrorists. I side with the Cherokee for defending their homeland.

Draggin Canoe had no brothers but an aboundance of sisters and when he fought it was with honor and pride for our people and all native americans so please do not trust in second hand or third hand knowlege but in truth that has been passed down though the family for i am Thunder Bolt and have honor for my ancester Dragging Canoe

Chief Dragging Canoe had a son named Young Dragging Canoe who had a daughter namedSarah Consense. Sarah then had a sonnamed Samuel Quinton. Samuel married Lucinda McDuffie and gave birth to Sarah Amanda Quinton who married Henry Carter who is one of my great great grandfathers. I guess that means we're related. How cool is that??

Cherokee Chief Dragging Canoe in our tradition abandoned the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals with some of our people, went into southeat Kentucky, and defied the authorities for years. Canoe, Kentucky, in Breathitt County, early Perry County area, is named for Chief Dragging Canoe. redbirdband.bravehost.com

In doing some geneology research, Chief Dragging Canoe comes up in the line of the Martins of Ashe Co., NC and Johnson Co., TN. Britton Jefferson Stewart married Abigail Taylor in 1829 and they had a daughter, Elizabeth Stewart (Stuart). Elizabeth married Alexander Martin and this line came down in Ashe Co., NC. If you run Abigail Taylor's line backwards you come into references to Chief Dragging Canoe.

I am a descendanat of Samuel Quinon, Sr.born in 1762 in Union Co., South Carolina, he married Jane (last name unknowen}, they had a son named Henry Quinton, born 1800 in Union Co. South Carolina. Henry Quinton married Sarah Consene, she was born in Hightower, Georgia and dead sometime around 1839. She gave birth to Peggy Wakee Quinton in 1830, Daniel Quinton,Samuel Henry Quinton, Lewis Quinton, Nathaniel Quinton and John Quinton. Samuel Quinton, Sr. is GreatgreatgreatgreatGrandfather. Check out on line the decendants of Samuel Quinton, Sr. He fought during the revolutionary War. Pension #S32461. So that would make Young Dragging Canoe my fifth greatgrandfather.I am also a Cherokee.

I am related to Dragging Canoe through my grandmother and also related to Daniel Boone through my grandfather.He was descended from Sarah Cassandra.I consider myself very patriotic but the more I see and study our history ,the more ashamed and heartbroken I am at the way the native American people have been treated.Had I been born in that time I may very well have sided with Dragging Canoe.

HiI am also related to both of these familes. I am descended though Sarah Cassandra Boone also. I feel exactly like you, sometimes when doing research it makes me cry to learn how much the Native Americans had to give up.

I am a 4th great grandson of Chief Dragging Canoe. His daughter, Abigail (born 1760), married Charles Roark. Their daughter Sarah married Stephen Blackhawk Taylor in 1792. They had 10 children, the fifth of which was Abigail "Abbie" Taylor, who married Brittain Stuart 31 Oct 1829 in Carter Co, TN. They had 10 children, the sixth of which was my grandfather, Brittain Jefferson Stewart, who married Hannah Hampton. They had 14 children, the 10th of which was my mother, Ida Belle, who married William Eldridge Slagle, my father. My mother and her sister always maintained that we had Native Americanroots, but they had not been able to determine what they were. Thanks to the genealogical work of many whose results are available on the Internet now, I have been able to make the connection to Chief Dragging Canoe, who must have been to the Cherokee and the Southeastern tribes the equal of Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, and Crazy Horse to the western native peoples. The "progress" of history has been relentlessly cruel to native people the world over since time began, and those who stood up for their rights were demonized beyond belief.

Hi i am related as well through my grandmother Cora Roark Weaver. The Roarks that Raven Abigail Canoe marriied into. It seems that much of the south is related. I am trying to find out if Dragging Canoe is related to Thomas Pasmere Carpenter by blood or by adoption, since he had both. If anyone knows please let me know.

That is so true, William. We are also decendants of Dragging Canoe. My mother has all the geneology papers on this. If you would like to contact her, just e-mail and we can go from there. Just put "dragging canoe" in the subject line.Shay-my designjewelry@comcast.net

I'm researching my family's connection to Dragging Canoe. My ggrandfather was william price and my father was orphaned. It's very difficult to find anything. Any help at all on the Price side would be so appreciated.K. Price

I am a Cherokee descendant from the line of Moytoy and Su Ghi Ani waya, I think we are related to DC thru them I am also English/ Irish/ Scotch, Thru Elizabeth Mcdaniel and James Thomas Essary.I love all my races tho the Creator made ppl not race We are all the children of one great Father in the sky. I go to the water for cleansing as often as I can as my Cherokee ancestors did , it makes me feel whole. I also practice a form of western Christianity, we are what we are.

I have been researching for years and wanted to know who was father of Abigail Cherokee (Canoe) Indian. My research and study is paying off now...My G>>>Grandmother Abigail Roark (wife of Charles Roark) has same facial features as Dragging Canoe.Carol

Abigail Canoe was my 6th GREAT-Grandmother.I'm looking for any information to prove that Dragging Canoe was her father.If anyone has any information please contact me at: vmcbride77@gmail.com.Thank You,Vanessa

Abigail Canoe is my 7th Great Grandmother. If I figured that right, possible 6th. Her Grand daughter Elizabeth (Lizzy) Mahala married her cousin Enoch Roark which in turn was the grandson of Timothy Roark, also Charles and Abigail's son. I imagine marrying 2nd cousins was more common then. If you have a picture of Abigail Canoe I would greatly appreciate you sharing this. val_nickels@gmail.comValerie

Dragging Canoe was my 7th Great-Grandfather. His son, Little Dragging Canoe, married Rutha Rowland and they had one child, Martha Tilda Snow. Martha married Squire Allen and that line and surname remained intact through my paternal grandmother, Ruby Allen. I am proud to have this great man, this awesome warrior, as my ancestor!

I am also a decendant of Martha Tilda Snow thru her daughter Matilda Jane Allen. DO you have any proof that she was the daughter of Little Dragging Canoe? IF you would share your information with me i would really appreciate it.Hope to hear from you, EMMA emmadbishop@yahoo.com

I have been researching my SNOW line since 1997, trying to find my great great grandfather's parents. How did Tilda have the name Snow? DNA has proven connections to some Snow lines AND Chief BlueJacket of the Shawnee. Attakullakulla was 1/2 Shawnee. Can you please help with how Tilda had Snow and who her Snow brothers might be? Thank you, Anita Snow anitasmason@gmail.com

I am finding all this history of Dragging Canoe vastly interesting! I am descended through Sarah Naky Canoe, his daughter who married Alex Brown. Ales Brown Jr. was born to them, and he married violet Barton. They had 11 children, one of them,Sarah Brown, is my great-great-great grandmother. She married Elijah Hambelton, and they had Zaccharis Sanford Hambelton who married Sarah Greer. Sara Cuba Dell Hambelton was their daughter who married Thomas Nelson Atkins. Their son Lester Virgil Atkins is my paternal grandfather. I too am very proud to call this War Chief my ancestor. His intelligence and persistence should be celebrated!

tk125, i am in the Alexander Brown and Violet Barton family and have heard the stories about being related to Dragging Canoe but have found no proof. If you have documents proving it I would love to see it. Geneology get very frustrating sometimes. donnak1957@outlook.com

I believe that I am a descendent of Cheucunsene "Dragging Canoe". He would be my 6th Great Grandfather. I have pictures of Drewsilla Taylor which was my Gr Gr Grandmother and she was supposed to be of strong Cherokee descent. My Great Great Great Grandfather was Simeon Taylor whose mother was Sarah Roark and whose grandmother was Abigail Lnu Canoe. If anyone has a picture or anything to add to this please get back to me (email anr0906@att.net). I also live within just miles of Red Clay where the Trail of Tears began and also close to Nancy Wards Grave.

I would love more information about Abigail Canoe. If my research is right, She is my 4th G-Grandmother, and I would like to find out more about her. I will go back through all my information also to see how I found out that Dragging Canoe was Abigail's father. I spent years researching on ancestry.com.

Hi Becky, My name is Alan and I have been doing some family research on my great great grandfater Albert Jackson Atkins whos fathers name is Lester Atkins. I would like to communitcate with you to try and figure out if this happens to be the same Lester Atkins. my email is alan_mumford7@yahoo.com.

I am also related if there is proof that Abigail is a daughter. Timothy Price was my great-great grandfather. His parents were Solomon Price and Nancy Mahala. Soloman's mother was Kiziah Roark and Nancy's mother was Abigail Roark (which makes Soloman and Nancy first cousins). Would love documentation or proof that Abigail was actually a daughter of Dragging Canoe. blrobi09@smumn.edu. Thanks, Brittany Robinson (grandaughter of Ray Dowell and Ruth Ward)

I'm also related if we can get proof that Abigail is a daughter. My Great Grandmother was Rosella South, daughter of Stephen South, son of Mary Taylor, daughter of Sarah Roark, daughter of Abigail. any information, please email me at stacylynn624@gmail.com with the subject Dragging Canoe. Thanks!

Don Said: I think I am related to the family on two sides of my family in researching my family. On my fathers mother Dora May Barkers mother Martha Brown (1850-1937) and to my mother Easter May Sheets mother: Caldonia "Callie" Roark b. ca.1884 who was from the Horse Creek area in Ashe County, N.C who married Arthur Cleveland Sheets b.ca 1886. If any one has ay further information you can e-mail me: Don Junior Lambert at: donzo19462@hotmail.com. I was born in Jefferson, Ashe County, N.C. in 1946. Thank You.

Does anyone know how the Henderson families & Dragging Canoe are bloodline connected?I am supposedly descended from Draggin Canoe, via the Davis ancestry, a John Henderson who married a Mary ?I am also a direct descendant of the Copeland family name.I am of Royalty Connections of European foreign countries & of American Indian...Lost Cherokee tribal people, no CDIB ID card tho.My email is : bojacks1@yahoo.comHazel Davis-Clark

I am also a relative connection to Daniel Boone & his family.I follow a migration of people / military families, and see how they connect to the ancient & bibical history documentation.North America was colonized & the people (native people, people born in that particular land) in the same manner as that of any other country.Each has had a Messiah, a Chosen People & an Israel...a special name for a male outstanding leadership & each has had Promised (reserved) Lands.Hazel Davis-ClarkU.S.Military -Veteran's AdvocateCivil Rights Activistbojacks1@yahoo.com

Wow, where to start. I am from the Roark/Sheets/ Carters/Boone etc..I just found out who my real grandfather was. Really, Dragging canoe ? Maybe this is why I was given the names, I was given. Strength, Determination, and so much more. And not to offend any one, first settlers were criminals of Christianity. Both sides fought for their beliefs. On one side land, and all beliefs. The others ( first settlers.) beliefs of God and Jesus. Both sides fought hard for, and proudly bleed for to.

I am looking for information/proof that Abigail Roark was the daughter of Dragging Canoe. If Abigal is Dragging Canoe's daughter that would make him my 6th Greatgrandfather and my 7th Greatgrandfather, as one of the Roarks married a second cousin. Many folks on Ancestry.com make this connection, but just because they say it does not make it true.

Exactly. Just because someone puts it on the internet does not make it true. I would like to see proof as well. I am also a descendant of Charles and Abigail Roark, but I have seen no documented proof that she was a Cherokee Indian or that she was a daughter or granddaughter of Dragging Canoe. It's nice to imagine, but until someone comes forward with acceptable proof, I think Roark descendants should refrain from stating it as fact. I really hope someone can prove it. It would be a wonderful and interesting heritage to claim.

I found the following posted on ancestry.com under my family history for Abigail Canoe Roark. It does not offer proof neither does it completely deny her. I have contacted the Chickamaugan tribe with help. I am informed that they have data bases not available to everyone. I have several Native American ancestors but little proof. However, I am sure if I did mitochondrial DNA it would show proof. Myself and other family members possess physical traits. Not even the leaders of that time were pure-blood Cherokee, including Dragging Canoe himself. Abigail Easterd-Vanover Eastern Cherokee Application Numbers FoundPosted by: Tara Maggard (ID *****3045)Date: June 01, 2009 at 06:48:06 of 974 I finally found the numbers for the applications and all are on the Guion Miller Rolls listed as REJECTED:NARA-M1104. "Eastern Cherokee Applications of the U.S. Court of Claims, 1906-1909"Application numbers are:#34208 Elizabeth Perry-Ham#34209 Cordelia Ham-Davis#34210 Richard Perry#34211 Edith Perry-Sheets#34212 Arthur Sheets#34213 Mary Sheets-Pennington#44579 Edith Perry-Clelland (some loose papers were also found in Elizabeth Perry-Ham's file)#44701 Margaret Perry-Stepp#36094 Rhoda Perry-Greer#36095 Emeline Roark-Greer (unsure if she's a desc. of Abby, but Rhoda Perry-Greer and this Emeline filed their ECA's together...Emeline claimed different descendancy through her Roark father but her mother was a Ham)#36629 Reid Perry#36630 Charley O. Perry#36631 Lundy A. Perry#36632 Wiley L. Perry#36633 Elbert Perry#28118 Aley Perry-Barr#28119 Missouri V. Perry-Stike#28120 Jonathan Perry#28121 Eavia J. Perry-Blevins#44578 Rachel PerryALL these applications were REJECTED because Abigail Easterd-Vanover was not listed in the Eastern Cherokee Rolls. She might have been missed, might have used her Cherokee surname and the Dept. of Indian Affairs couldn't find her under Easterd, or she may not have actually been Native American....Mitochon-drial DNA testing will have to be the proving factor now. I don't descend from an all-female line, otherwise I'd get tested.My line:(5G) Cornelius (5th) Vanover & Abigail Easterd(4G) Daniel Vanover & Nancy Collins(3G) Cornelius J. "Neely" Vanover & Margaret J. "Peggy" Johnson(2G) Bethany Elizabeth Vanover & Robert Lee FlemingBottom line...(1) These applications NEVER proved Abby was Cherokee. They are just the family's claim of descent which was never proven due to Abby not being a recognized member of the tribe through being listed on their rolls. I believe she was Native American, but it'll have to be proven through Mitochondrial DNA.(2) Some people's websites state that "her descendants who remained in North Carolina were paid restitution from the United States government for some reason."Because Abby was never proven to be Cherokee, no restitution was ever made to her descendants.(3) This still DOES NOT prove that Abby was not Native American.This list of application numbers may be incomplete. I am still searching for more numbers.Notify Administrator about this message?

Valerie,The above information was written by me back in 2009 and is for Abigail Easterd-Vanover who married Cornelius 5th Vanover. This particular Abigail and the Abigail (last name unknown) who was married to Charles Roark are two totally different women...easily provable. Many people on Ancestry.com have incorrectly attached my information on Abigail Easterd-Vanover to Charles Roark's wife and a lot of unfortunate confusion has ensued as to the two Abigail's due to careless copying.

For a more up to date 2013 version of this info, please see: http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.vanover/408/mb.ashxI no longer believe my Abigail Easterd-Vanover was Native American based on all available paper documentation, as well as recent mitochondrial DNA tests. -Tara Maggard

From Terry Harmon: Just as an update, although I still have never seen any documentation produced that would prove Charles Roark's wife Abigail was a Native American, I recently completed DNA testing through 23andme. The results show that I have 0.1% Native American on my mother's side. I am a male, and tracing my X chromosome backwards to my 3rd great-grandparents, there are only eight 3rd great-grandparents from whom this could have been passed down. One of those is Elizabeth Stewart Martin, daughter of Abigail Taylor Stewart, daughter of Sarah Roark Taylor, daughter of Abigail (maiden name unknown Roark). Of course, the Native American ancestry could have come from any of those other seven 3rd great-grandparents, but the Roark line is the only one that has any related family tradition of Indian blood. Again, no proof whatsoever, but interesting just the same and perhaps an indicator that Abigail MIGHT HAVE BEEN Native American.

I found information where Dragging Canoe had a Daughter named Nar-Nee, it said that she took the name of Elizabeth Ross. If this isn't true does anyone have a Leatha Ross in their line. I have been searching for years for this family, Leatha had a daughter named Mildred Talley born 1790, Mildred married Levi Phillips....HELP!Not sure how to pick my profile but my email is genjoni@yahoo.com

hello..I have just begun tracing my family roots on the asbell side..and was able totrace my grgrandma bessie backto william and elizabeth..i also have afamily lineage that goesback to the ross familyand somehow the rossfamily connected to the asbells..if i come across a leatha I willlet u know..shemay have been johnross sister or cousin..im still working on to verify i am a decendant of william an nar-nee..native2u@yahoo.com

What a fantastic blog! I just discovered that Dragging Canoe is my 6th great grandfather on my Mother's side, & I'm totally fascinated with my newly discovered heritage.Thank you for this wonderful resource. You hard work is much appreciated!

Osyio, I am of the Conseene line on my grandmother's side and Rowe/Vann on my Grandfather's side. We were early settlers to Arkansas and later in the Saline dist. of Oklahoma. My line has been genetically tested and is from the Dragging Canoe gene pool. Wado

I am a bit lost here. I was just told a week ago that I am a direct decendent of Dragging Canoe but I am not sure where to start the search to prove this. I know my mother has before but she lost all the paper work. Any advice on how to track it again?

My mother has been attempting to trace our heritage for many years, and has been led to this chief as part of it. I would be very interested in talking to anyone having more information, or actual documentation about him, his children, close friends, etc... The Asbille Family History was a book written by George T. and Donald E. Bennett, Genealogists from Pulaski, TN.. In this book, It states that William Asbille, son of Dorothy Ross (sister to George Ross, one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence), settled for some time in Duncombe County, NC.. There, he wooed and married the daughter of Samuel Becknell. This daughter (named Malinda Ross) was of Cherokee parentage. A Cherokee Chief, believed to be Dragging Canoe (son of Attakullakulla), had been close friends with the Becknells, and often stayed on their land and hunted with Samuel and his son Thomas. Many times, the Chief brought his unnamed wife with him and slept in a wigwam on the land. On one of these occasions, the Becknell family went to greet them, only to find an empty wigwam. While searching the land, they heard the cry of a baby. In further searching, they found a baby tied to it's dead mothers breast (which was supposed to be Cherokee custom when a mother died during child birth). The Becknells took this child home and raised her as Malinda Ross. She is my great (x5) grandmother. If I am truly of Cherokee bloodline (of which I am convinced), I would love to learn more of my heritage and have my name along side my ancestors. If you have any information that might support statements made by this book, please let me know.

I am related to Chief Tsiyugunsini "Dragging Canoe through his daughter Abigail Raven Canoe who married Charles Roark. They are related to my Price Families of Tuscaloosa Alabama. I agree..History is so awesome with great and not so great moments..Ramel2001.pages.qpg.comThanks for the link...I will add it to my page when I add Raven..Ramel Price brown

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Hi, I just recently started tracking my ancestors and it leads me to Chief Dragging Canoe. My grandmother's great-great grandparents were Nathan Ward and Sarah Canoe. (her name was Vida Ward, her father was Cephas Ward, her grandfather Eulis Jackson Ward, her great grandfather Nathan Ward Jr, and her great great grandfather Nathan Ward Sr with wife Sarah Canoe) In researching, my 'rabbit trails' led me to Nathan Ward Sr's grave marker and then to his wife Sarah and her marker says Sarah, an Indian. I am in my 60's and all of my elders have passed on. All trails lead right back to Dragging Canoe and Sarah, but I keep running across conflicting 'descendent' webpages. I also read somewhere that Dragging Canoe had many wives. Could that be why there are so many conflicting names? I'm stumped on where to go with this.

Hi, I am researching my wife's heritage and ran across the claim that a lady named "Mary Polly Brown" was a great-granddaughter of Chief Dragging Canoe (who was married to George Hart). Does anyone have information that would support this claim

My daughter lives across the street from the old carter mansion in elizabethton, tn. the house is on the watauga river. john carter and his son landon carter owned the house with family. it is said that dragging canoe is a viscious spirit there and often seen around the house. he was supposedly in the house quite a bit but got very upset with the transylvania purchase. he supposedly killed settlers that came into the area. check out the site on carter mansion.

I have also been told that I'm related to Dragging Canoe thru Alexander Sawney Brown but haven't been able to prove it. Do you have any documentation, I would love to see it and put an end to the wondering. My name is Donna Walker and i live in Muskogee, Okla email is donnak1957@outlook.com

I have recently done DNA testing on myself on my mtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA) line (direct maternal line) at Family Tree DNA and got an exact match with another person who had tested and whose ancestor is Mary "Polly" ROARK, daughter of Charles ROARK and probably Abigail.

If Abigail was the mother of all of Charles ROARK's children, then the DNA results that we have would represent her maternal line.

Note that my direct maternal ancestor is NOT Abigail. I am descended from another woman, but who must have a common ancestor with Abigail.

The DNA results show that it is likely that Abigail was not full-blooded Cherokee, but that her mother was most likely of European descent. The other possibility is that Abigail was not the mother of all of Charles ROARK's children.

I am interested in finding men or women who are descended from Abigail (or who believe they are) on their direct maternal line (mother, her mother, her mother, etc.). I am also interested in knowing of any information anybody has on other possible mothers of Charles ROARK's children. Finally, anybody who has done research on this line is of interest. DNA may help solve this question of the heritage of Abigail.

Oh I guess my other post did not go through. Abigail is listed as my 6th great grandmother on my family tree. her and charles' daughter jane married john pope and they had a child named george pope who married nellie lewis who had a child named Nathan pope who married Anne Gibson and they had a child named tennessee pope who married james alfred wicker and they had a child named Paris Wicker who had a child named Mark wicker who is my grandfather from my mothers side.

It also seems that Nellie Lewis' grandparents where also abigail and charles roark.......so even if jane roark is not abigails daughter is there a chance that eleanor roark is abigail and charles' daughter???

Can't help but smirk at the irony. Tsiyu Gansini gave his life trying to keep white people off of his land. White people got the land. Now white people want his name too. Any time I see somebody claim that they are "part Cherokee" (no such thing, btw) and then talk in some goofy pseudo-Indian dialect that they picked up watching Dances With Wolves or Legends of the Fall I can't help but laugh. It's 2014, real Indians don't talk like that. Stop it five. Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians. I've never met a single white person who said, "My great-grandfather was Charley, a Cherokee man who sold bait by the river." It's always a great-grandmother who was a Cherokee Princess. I would be willing to bet that none of you claiming descent from Tsiyu Gansini are actually Aniyunwiya. Probably the 6x great-grandkid of some squatter he killed.

There is no such thing as 'part-Cherokee.' Either you're Cherokee or you're not.It isn't the quantity of Cherokee blood in your veins that is important, but the quality of it . . . your pride in it.I have seen full-bloods who have virtually no idea of the great legacy entrusted to their care. Yet, I have seen people with as little as 1/500th blood who inspire the spirits of their ancestorsbecause they make being Cherokee a proud part of a their everyday life."

Jim Pell: Principal Chief of the North Alabama Cherokee Tribe

Dear Anonymous,Most of us doing Cherokee research know about being "part Cherokee." I am tremendously proud of this heritage. Saying part Cherokee is just a easy way of saying you are not full blood.

You certainly have a lot of pain in your heart to say such negative things. I do not see any "pseudo-Indian dialect" on any comments or on this blog.